Corn-sheller



5 Sheets-Sheet 1A L. KNAUER.

CORN SHELLER.

(No Model.)

Patented Oct. 28, 1884.

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5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

L. KNAUER.

com SHELLBR.

No. 307,310. Patented oet. 28. 1884.

(No Model.) Sheets-Sheet 3,

L. KNAUBR.

CORN SHELLBR. i

No. 307,310. Patented oct. z8, 1884.

PE S. Pnewulmgnpher, washingwn. 0.6,

, (N Model.) 5 sheets-sheet 4.

L. KNAUER.

CORN SHELLER.

Patented Oct. 28, 1884.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5. L. KNAUER.

CORN SHBLLER.

Nd. 307,310. Patented oet; 28, 1884.

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thvirsn STATES Parana* Ormes.

LOUIS KNAUER, OF MENDOTA, ILLINOIS. v`

CORN-SHELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 307,310, dated October28, 1884.

l Application filed May 1, 1883.

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Louis KNAUER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Mendota, in the county of La Salle, in the Stateof Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Corn-ShellingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

'Ifhis invention relates to that class of cornshelling machines known aspower-shellers, but capable of use in other forms of shellingmachines;and the object of this invention is to produce a more efficient machineat a less cost; and to this end I have embodied my iinprovenients in themachine represented in the accompanying drawings- Figure l of which is aplan view; Fig. 2, an elevation of the delivery end. Fig. 3 is anelevation of the side on which the main driving-gear t'ain is mounted;Fig. 4, an elevation of the side on which the liv-wheel is mounted. Fig.5 is a vertical lengthwise central section. Figs. 6 and 7 show thecontiguous working-faces of the shelling-disks. Fig. 8 is an isometricalrepresentation of a guardplate, and Fig. 9 is an isometricalrepresentation of a spring-actuated toothed shelling-le ver.

In the figures, A represents lengthwise sills, and B transverse sillssuitably framed, forniing a base-frame rectangular in form. Thisbase-frame is supported on posts C, framed into the under side of theside sills near the ends thereof.

At D are represented corner posts framed into the upper face of thelengthwise sills, from which they rise to a suitable height, and areconnected on the sides of the frame about midway of their height bybeams E, framed into the posts. The corner posts of the delivery end ofthe machine are connected at their upper ends by means of a transversebeam, F. The inner face of this frame, on the sides thereof, is providedwith a vertical lining, G-in this instance of boardssecurely fixed tothe frame-timbers. The head end of this frame is also provided with avertical wall consisting of a hinged door, H, and transverse boards I,securely fixed in place to the frame. These parts constitute the mainsupporting-frame of my improved machine, and are substantially such ashave been heretofore employed in this class of shelling-machines.

center.

(No model.)

K and L represent shelling-disks having the outer portions of theirfaces a and b concave, producing a gothic-formed peripheral groove whenthe concave faces of the disks are placed together. The concave portiona of the shelling-disk K is provided with a double series of V-form'edribs,consisting of alternate long ribs c and short ribs d', placed atequal distances and spirally inclined upon its concave surface.` Theconcave portion bof the shelling-disk L is provided with a single seriesof V-formed ribs, e, placed at equal distances and spirally inclinedupon its concave surface. The curved portions of these ribs upon theconcave surfaces of the disks are such that when the disks are both laidwith their ribbed sides up the curvature of the ribs will be in thesaine direction,- and when mounted upon their shaft, with their concavesides together, the ribs on the respective disks will curve in oppositedirections to cross each other, and when so mounted and made to revolvein the direction of the arrows the double series of ribs c and d on thedisks K will operate to throw or carry from the center, and the singleseries of ribs c on disk L will operate to carry toward the A series ofthese disks are mounted in pairs upon a shaft, M, to which they arefixed in a manner to cause them to revolve therewith. This shaft withthe shelling-disks mounted thereon is placed in the rear upper portionof the supporting-frame' transversely thereof in such a manner that thedisks thereon shall be within the vertical side linings of thefranie,'and the shaft being supported to revolve in bearings fixed tothe frame outside of the vertical side linings.

N represents a beveled pinion mounted upon the outer end of the shaft M.The teeth of this pinion engage the teeth of the beveled wheel N',mounted upon the upper end of a vertical shaft, N, supported to revolvein suitable bearings connected to the main frame. The lower end portionof this vertical shaft N is provided with a beveled pinion, l?.

. I represents a beveled wheel mounted upon a horizontal shaft, P,supported to revolve in suitable bearings fixed to the main frame. rIheouter end of the horizontal shaft P is fitted with a portion, F', of auniversal jointcoupling to connect with atunibling-rod to connect themachine with the power employed.

ICO

. wheels, 7i, to revolve with the shalt.

` suitable bearings on the main frame.

rlhis gear-train and its connection with the power is substantially thesame as like parts of similar machines heretofore employed l`or likepurposes.

R represents a sprocket-wheel shalt supported to revolve in bearings inthe sides ol' the main frame. 0n this shall; within the main frame ismounted a series ol" sprocket- These sprocket-wheels are placed in suchposition on the shalt as to revolve in the same vertical plane with thecenter of each patrol' shellingdisks.

R represeif a carrying-shalt supported in On this shaft is mounted aseries ot' carrying-wheels, fi, to revolve either with the shalt ortorevolve on the shall; in the same lengthwise vert-ical plane with thesprocket-wheels.

It: represents endless feeding chain belts composed ol'I links ol" aconstruction adapted to receive the teeth otA the sprocket-wheels. Theseendless feeding-chain belts are provided at proper intervals withoutwardly-projecting arms 71:', and are mounted upon the sprocket-wheels7L and the carrying-wheels z', to move in the direction indicated by thearrow.

k represents a sheeting placed under the upper branch ot' the chainfeeding-belts extending across the machine between the sprocket andcarrying wheels in position to prevent the chain-belts from sagging.

It represents toothed shelling lever-bars, the inner portions of whichare composed ot' two side bars, Z, curved and suitably separated to spanthe sprocket-wheels and the feeding-- vthe portions ol' theshelling-bars immediately under the shelling-disks are reduced in widthto rise within the peripheral grooves ol' the shelling-disks, and theirupper l'aces at the points within the grooves are provided withshelling-teeth oblique to the bars. rllhe outer or rear end of theseshelling-bars are provided with loops IW, of staple l'orm,dependingjt'rom u their under si des, and receive atransverse bar,

m, having its ends supported in the sides oll the main frame, andwhichserves to limit the vertical movement ol' the rear ends of theshelling-bars. The rear end portions ol" these shelling-bars are madeconcave on their npper faces, which serve to receive and cond uct thecobs and corn passing Vfrom the rear ol.' the machine and deliver themover their rear ends.

m represents stirrups of suitable conformation to embrace the rear endsol' the shellingbars. lhese stirrups are passed through the loops ZW,lrom which their arms rise on each side ot' the shelling-bars, andextend upward through a beam, Elf", tired to the rear end oil." the mainl'rame. he end portions' ol' the arms. ol" these stirrups arescrew-tlneaded,and are provided with thumb-nuts in. The portions ol"theA stirrup-arms between the beam lt and the thumii-nuts nl. areprovided with spiral springs m,whieh serve to hold the-free or rear endsol' the shelling-bars intheir highest position. or in their positionnearest the shelling-disks, but in such a manner as to permit theshelling bars to vibrate 'vertically within the limits ol' the devicesto adapt the machine to shell ears el' corn dillering in size, and bymeans ol` the thumb-screws the shelling l'orce ol' these bars can bevaried by 1increasing or lessening the spring l'orce. n representsguard-plates ol" a pointed construction to enter the peripheral groovesin'the shelling-disks. rlhese guard-plates are'xed to the transversebeam F ol the main trame in position. thereon to permit their dependingpointed ends to enter the peripheral grooves in the shelling-disks, andare employed l'or the double purpose et' preventing eobs being carriedup over the shelling-(lisas in the rear ol' the machine, and also toprevent corn being thrown over the disks.

if. represents vertical walls rising on the sides ol' thefeeding-chains,forming a channelway to receive and conduct the corncarried by the chains endwise into the shellers.

and S represent inner inclined walls extending across the machine, andinelining to- IOO ward-each other in hopper l'orm,having a centralopening, S", to permit the passage ol" the shelled corn.

H represents a screen placed over the central outlet-openings, ti.

represents a l'an having its shalt t' mounted to revolve in suitablebearings in the main l'rame. fllhe outlet-opening il ot' this fan-case.is sueh as to direct the current ot' air delivered l'rom the lanbetween the screen and rear ineli ned w all,s, to cause the air to risethrough the screen, to separate the dust and other light impurities fromthe shelled corn and discharge them l'rom the rear ol' the machine.

T represents au elevator ol the usual lorin, consisting, essentially,ol' endless carryingbelts o, litted with transverse battons, and mountedupon carrying-1'ollers o and o, to move in a separate guidewav, formedby vertical outside walls, o, and inner division- 'alls, o'. Thiselevator is connected with and adjustably supported upon the main trameol" the machine to elevate the corn to be shelled substantially in thesaine manner that like elevators are connected and employed in likemachines. r

p represents a pinion mounted upon the shalt M ofthe shelling-disks, andits teeth engage the teeth of the wheel p', mounted upon the outer endol" the sprocket-wheel shalt l,

IIO

.disks are mounted.

to impart motion to the endless carryingehains to deliver the corn totheshellers. rlhe disk-supporting shaft )i is also provided with apulley, p, which is connected by a helt, 11', i with the pulley p on theshaft t of the fan T.

US represents a ily-wheel mounted on the outcrend of the shaft M, onwhich the shellingt represents a sheave fixed on theouter end ofthesprocket-wheel shaft t, and connected by a belt, t', with a sheave, t,fixed on the outer end of the shaft of they upper earryiiig-roller, o',of the elevator. v

From the foregoing it will be seen that il' motion be imparted to themachine through the universal-joint eonneciion'Pw that niotion-will betransmitted to the several parts by means of their gear or beltconnections, causing them to move in the direction indicated by thearrows, from which it will be seen that corn placed upon thecarrying-belts at the foot ofthe elevator will be elevated and depositedon the emlless-ehain feeding-belts, and by them will be fed or carriedinto the shcllers. fit will further be noticed that the action ofthedouble series of V-formed shellingiihs on the disks K will be outward7or from the center, to depress the ear of corn downward against theshellingbar inpassing through the shellers, and the single series ofdeformed shellingribs on the disk L will e.\' rrt a lifting action uponthc ear of corn, and these opposite actions will operate in unison tocause the ear of corn to revolve axially in its passage through themachine, and the com` l bined opposite actions of the disks, inconnection withille toothed shelling-bar, will oper ate to strip thecorn from the col) with eertainty and with great rapidity.

ln the construction of my improved shelling-niachine l prefer toproportion the driving mechanism in snell a manner that the endles`chain feeding-belts, located between the shelling mechanism andthedelivery end ofthe elevators, shall move at a velocity less than thevelocity of the shelling mechanism, that the corn may be entirelystripped from the cob before being forced through the shellers, and thatthey shall move at a greater velocity than the elevator-belts to preventclogging the shellers by the accumulation of corn on the feeding-belts.

I claim as my invention-- lf. A rotary sheller consisting of independentdisks whose contiguous faces are coneaved to form a groove, one of saiddisks having alternate long and short spiral ribs, while the other diskis formed with oppositely-eurved ribs, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with thc rotary shell ringdisks, of a shelling-barpivotally se-` cured at its inner end, formed with teeth projectingbetween said disks, and inclined and concaved at its outer end, andyielding supportingdevices, substantially as set forth.

3. The eombination,with the shellingdisks and the sprocket-wheeladjacent thereto, of a curved shellingbar pivotedat its inner end, andextending below said wheel, and projecting upwardly in rear of saidwheel to allow the `teeth of the harto enter between the disks, andlyielding adj ustiug devices, substantially as set forth.

l. rlhc combination, with the rotary disks and the adjacent cross-bar ofthe machine, ot' rigid guard-fingers removably secured to said cross-harto enter the space between the disks, substantially as set forth.

The combination, with the rotary disks and the sproeket-wheels R R, ofthe endless feedbclts arranged at an angle to said disks, and providedwith arms k', and the elevatorbelts o, substantially as set forth.

LOUIS KNAUER.

Witnesses:

Grills. il". Minnen, Gillo. L. LAUTERBAUH.

